01011 wa 'Soba ni itai'
by Yui Miyamoto
Summary: Minoru and Yuzuki spend time together. But, Yuzuki is caught between the person she's modeled after and herself...


Disclaimer: Chobits isn't mine. It's Clamp's. And 'Here with Me' is sung by Dido.  
  
  
"Hello." The beautiful blue-haired persocon smiled as she opened her eyes to look at the boy in front of her.  
  
The boy just nodded his head as he looked at his creation in wonder. Though his wistful eyes never showed any emotion, his eyes wouldn't stop looking at her. Raising his hand to her cheek, he smiled slightly as he whispered, "I name you Yuzuki."  
  
"Yuzuki?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Data confirmed. My name is Yuzuki."  
  
He then let go as he folded his hands together. "My name is Minoru Kokubunji."  
  
"Your name is Minoru Kokubunji."  
  
"That's right."  
  
She folded her hands like his and closed her eyes while smiling. "Hello Koku-"  
  
"Please call me Minoru," he interrupted.  
  
Yuzuki nodded her head. "Yes, Minoru-sama..."  
  
  
01011 wa 'Soba ni itai'. (01011 means 'I want to be near you'.)  
By Miyamoto Yui  
  
  
"Okaerinasai, Minoru-sama," She greeted as he came into his study. Yuzuki had just finished dusting and stood straight up as she smiled at him.  
Walking over to Minoru, she took his jacket and draped it over her arm. He nodded his head as he sat on his desk. Instead of asking what happened at school, from the look on his face, she just skipped the question all together.  
"Would you like tea?" she asked politely as she stood next to him.  
Putting on his glasses, he looked solemnly at her and nodded. Nodding her head while slightly closing her eyes, she turned around to leave the room.  
As soon as she closed the door behind her, she walked over to his bedroom and put the jacket into his closet. She stood there for a moment to make sure it was at that certain place he always put it. Recording the place where she had put it, she walked out of the room and into the kitchen to prepare the tea.  
The other persocoms were doing housework and she saw each of them doing their jobs properly while she passed through the hallway. When she got to the kitchen, she prepared Minoru's tea and quickly brought it back to him.  
  
Pouring the contents of the tea leaves carefully into the cup, she wondered if she had done it right. Was it the way Minoru-sama's sister used to make it?  
These type of questions and answers plagued her continuously in 1's and 0's. But in the end, she could only predict what could happen, and not what would.  
  
Humans are so unpredictable. Can they not live with a steady way of thinking like computers? Sometimes that could be better.  
  
Yuzuki came into the room and Minoru sat on his chair like usual. She brought the tray to him and put his cup on the table.  
"Here is your tea, Minoru-sama," she said.  
He nodded his head without looking at her. "Thank you, Yuzuki."  
"Please try it out to make sure I made it correctly."  
"All right."  
"I tried a new blend today," she explained.  
He took the cup into his hands and sipped a little. Closing his eyes half-way he whispered to himself, "Umai."  
But, she didn't understand this idiom. He said it once or twice before, but it still didn't make that much of an impression.  
  
Not until he closed his eyes and had a soft smile on his face.  
  
"You did well, Yuzuki."  
It was then that worried, yet calm expression she always had softened a bit as she nodded with a smile.  
  
Then, he clicked on his mouse and turned off the computer screen. Turning his chair towards her, Minoru took of his glasses and said, "Let's go out, Yuzuki."  
  
A new blend of tea gives this kind of response? She recorded this data also. It had only a 12 percent chance of happening, and yet it still did.  
  
Yuzuki could only nod her head. "And where would we go?"  
  
"The park…" he sighed. "My sister always loved the park."  
  
At this, Yuzuki's worried expression came back. She could not understand this response she always had towards the mention of the one she had been modeled after. It was one that brought up question marks with no answers.  
And certainly not ones that Minoru would give.  
  
  
After instructing the other four persocoms on what to do while they were gone, Yuzuki helped Minoru put on his black jacket when they had reached the front.  
"There is a 68 percent chance of the temperature being really cold this evening, Minoru-sama."  
At this, he laughed as he stuck out his hand. "I don't feel like wearing one today."  
Yuzuki held the jacket in her hands and put it on the coat hanger. "You might catch a cold, Minoru-sama."  
"That's all right."  
Yuzuki looked at herself. Should she also follow his example?   
  
Minoru shook his head. "Today Yuzuki, don't wear a jacket."  
  
Yuzuki nodded as she took it off, but Minoru helped her out of it. Then, she also put that on the coat hanger.  
It was very strange.  
  
They walked quietly towards the park. Yuzuki was just pleased to be able to take another walk with Minoru-sama. But in Minoru's mind, he was losing himself.  
  
As he looked contentedly at Yuzuki, he wondered, "I always thought those who were absorbed with their persocoms were so irrational."  
Then, he looked down to the pavement. "Yes, maybe they are," he continued to think.  
  
When they passed by a bookstore, Yuzuki stopped. "Minoru-sama?"  
"Yes?"  
"I was to remind you to pick up your order."  
"Ah."   
They both walked into the store. Yuzuki tilted her head to look at the children's book before her as Minoru brought out his reserve card for the cashier.  
Taking the book from the stack, she flipped through the picture book. Randomly, she began to read as another song began to play in the bookstore's speakers.  
  
"You cannot change people's hearts," it had said. Then, further on, she read, "I want to be near them even if I cannot fulfill their wishes."  
  
"Let's go Yuzuki," Minoru said as she Yuzuki closed the book in her hands and placed it back into the stack before her.  
  
Because she had read it, the words temporarily recorded themselves along with the song in the background.  
  
  
As they entered the park, Minoru just sat at the bottom of the slide in the empty playground. Yuzuki folded her hands as she stood in front of him.   
"Are you enjoying yourself, Minoru-sama?" she asked as she blinked her eyes to give a look of curiosity.  
"Ee." He nodded his head as he looked at the empty sky above him.  
Yuzuki looked at the ground. "But you don't look like it."  
It was then that she stepped closer to him and placed her hand softly on his hair. Then, gently, she pulled the back of his head towards her in an embrace.  
  
She didn't understand what she was doing. She didn't understand that despite her coldness, it was always the warmest gesture Minoru felt with her.  
Even when it made him sad too.  
  
"Yuzuki…" he trailed off.  
  
"Would your sister have done this?" she asked innocently.  
But to him, the question pierced his heart. He nodded his head.  
  
Then, he said something that she had not expected, "But I'm glad it is Yuzuki doing it."  
  
Yuzuki's eyes closed as she patted his back.  
She still couldn't understand.  
  
"I read something while you were paying the cashier," Yuzuki started to say. "Can you clarify this for me?"  
"Yes?" he answered as she still held him.  
"'You cannot change people's hearts'. What exactly does this mean?"  
"Technically, you know what a heart is, right Yuzuki?"  
Yuzuki nodded her head. "Yes, I looked it up. But there also seems to be another meaning that I can't quite understand. It is associated with something called 'Kokoro', I believe."  
"Kokoro means 'mind, heart, and soul'. How do I put this? It means to feel an emotion, but it's so much more than that." Minoru closed his eyes. "In this case, it means that someone cannot change someone's set preferences. It is data that you cannot ever erase."  
  
He had hoped this was a sufficient explanation. It was one that he had prepared himself to give when the time came. And this was the best he could think of. No 1's or 0's or any manuals could explain this type of thing.  
There was no real response…  
  
Recording this, she then asked, "'I want to be near them even if I cannot fulfill their wishes.' What is the meaning of this sentence?"  
  
"It means that even if you cannot do everything for someone you care for, you still want to be able to be with them. So, despite your faults, you hope they will accept you."  
  
Yuzuki also took this into account.  
  
  
The breeze blew as Minoru leaned more on Yuzuki. Then, he whispered, "Hold me tighter, Yuzuki."  
She hesitated. "If I do that, I might break you, Minoru-sama."  
  
What scared her more than anything was the day he would stop to exist. Persocoms can be rebooted…  
  
But when a human dies, it was forever.  
  
  
"It's okay. You won't Yuzuki," he softly said.   
She tried to hold him tighter until he buried his face into her arms.  
  
Minoru was at a loss. No matter what he did, even when he advised not to fall in love with a persocom, he couldn't convince himself. And so, he was always caught on what to do and what not to do.  
More than anyone, he knew the pain and happiness with it…  
  
Even when he inputted new data into Yuzuki, he felt a little bit guilty. He knew what he was doing was somewhat wrong. No matter what you do, you cannot bring back the dead.  
He should let his sister rest for good. But, his heart wouldn't let himself accept that fact just yet. And here was Yuzuki sitting in front of him with her head down and in standby mode.  
Minoru then took a hold of her cheek and really looked at her. Then, he let go as a melancholy expression filled his face.  
  
So, as Minoru got into bed that night, Yuzuki bowed and smiled. "Oyasuminasai, Minoru-sama."  
Minoru then looked at the ceiling and said, "Yuzuki? Please come here for a moment."  
She sat on the bed and looked at him while he tried to avoid looking at her.  
  
"Thank you for accompanying me today."  
  
"You're welcome." She smiled at him as she always did.  
  
Then, without looking at her, he laid his hand on hers. "Yuzuki…remember. I like you because you are Yuzuki."  
  
She was silent.  
  
"I may input my sister's mannerisms into you, but you are still Yuzuki." Then, he sat up as he held her face. "I made you in the likeness of my sister…"  
  
He sighed. "But I may have been wrong to do that."  
  
"Why?"  
  
Minoru shook his head. "It's something I cannot explain."  
  
She looked at him as he stared back at her.  
  
  
At that moment, he hugged her and she was confused on what to do. So, logically, she embraced him back wanting to understand what made him act this way. What made Minoru-sama so lonesome? Was it her fault?   
  
Was it because she could not do anything for him?  
That's what she always thought: 'There is nothing I can truly do for him. But I want to be near him.'  
It made no sense at all.  
  
"I had a dream yesterday that you left me, Yuzuki."  
"You did, Minoru-sama?"  
"Yes. And a song was playing." He laughed as his hair ruffled onto her chest. "Coincidentally, it was the one playing in the bookstore today."  
"Would you like me to replay it?"  
"Yes…and please save it."  
  
"It has been saved," she announced after a few seconds.  
  
When he let go of her, he again laid down and looked at the ceiling still holding her hand as the song played. But when it started, Minoru tenderly, yet softly sang along:  
  
  
"I didn't hear you leave  
I wonder how am I still here  
I don't want to move a thing  
It might change my memory   
Oh I am what I am  
I'll do what I want  
But I can't hide  
I won't go  
I won't sleep  
I can't breathe  
Until you're resting  
Here with me  
I won't leave  
I can't hide  
I cannot be  
Until you're resting  
Here with me  
  
I don't want to  
Call my friends  
They might wake me  
From this dream  
And I can't leave this bed  
Risk forgetting all that's been  
  
Oh I am what I am  
I'll do what I want  
But I can't hide  
I won't go  
Won't sleep  
I can't breathe  
Until you're resting  
Here with me  
I won't leave  
I can't hide  
I cannot be  
Until you're resting  
Here with me."  
  
At the end of the song, Yuzuki asked, "What do you mean by 'left you'?"  
"You would never come back to me."  
She just nodded her head. "Oh."  
  
As Yuzuki was about to get up, Minoru said, "Please just stay with me today, Yuzuki."  
She nodded her head and smiled. Mimicking him, she gripped his hand back.  
  
But when he fell asleep, she bowed her head. As she did so, she softly said, "If I could cry, I think I would right now."  
  
Somehow, she knew that the fear she had was also that of Minoru's…  
  
  
With this, she went into standby mode still holding onto one another's hands.  
  
  
  
Owari.  
--  
Author's note: Since, according to ff.net, I've 89 fics posted, I decided to do this one as my ninetieth one. And as my luck would have it * smiles *, it is different. Though I do have an original story about a doll in the future, it wasn't from her perspective at all.  
I made this in Yuzuki's perspective because I wanted to perceive her thought patterns though she is supposed to be just a machine. But, since she is a machine, I couldn't make this with a first-person feel.  
Yuzuki is actually my favorite character in the cast next to Ueda-san (my god * looks at Seishirou-san *, I thought his story was incredible). But, if there was one reason alone that I got into chobits: Minoru. (It's sacrilege that the anime doesn't draw him with his clamp school uniform!!!! * ahem *) 


End file.
